Hunting club/Lease prices - The future ?

Having hunted for over 40 year in this state, I have seen some changes over the years as far deer hunting goes. Back years ago both leases and hunting clubs were few and far between . On to the subject of Price. What it now cost most of us to enjoy our sport. I am not a wealthy person and like many who visit this site I have to watch my finances. I do own most of my possessions and that helps but the money isn't flowing everywhere . Most all of us pay too much to hunt. But what can I say , it really means a lot to me and I'm sure you all as well. But where are we headed ? How much is a deer worth ? I pay a little over $9 per ac.for my lease in what is considered to be one of our better counties. Now I can done hear Buck Tooth Billy Bob saying Gee Whiz ! That's a good deal !! Not really, Billy. It's kinda like the same guy saying gas @ $2.49 a gallon is cheap and after he fills up both tanks he is wondering if there's enough in his billfold to take care of supper. So where to we draw the line and what can we do to change things. Some will say that if we don't lease it someone else will.Maybe ? If steak goes to $30 per pound ? I'm gonna send them a message .And if that was a cooperative message from a lot of folks,guess what would happen ? There would either be a lot of un slaughtered beef or prices would change. And then there is the question of what we are getting in return for our investment ? As far as Trophy deer go I don't take a lot of truly big racked bucks. And I'm talking 130 inches and better . Yes someone will shoot a 150 in deer or better next season but is that your experience ? On our farm up North I see 130 deer on a regular basis and pay less to hunt them.No I don't want to not hunt our deer.I just wish we could head off our rising costs.Not just for us but for our kids, Our Future.

I sort of see what you mean, but lease prices are typically 1/2 of a percent of the land's value, or thereabouts. That means if the landowner didn't cut timber it would take 200 years to pay off that land, not counting interest. I think leasing land is a much better deal vs buying in some situations, but not all.
At the end of the day, there's more people and not an acre more land, and that drives prices up.

Problem is that the land is not yours if you lease, and you are subject to lose that lease at any time. Most of the old timber companies are gone and are replaced by Real Estate Investment Trust type companies and they swap ownership of the land all the time. They are also more likely to sell the land off to individuals. To try and "manage" the land for trophy deer is a goal, but it is probably a non-realistic idea. You probably won't have the land or the club long enough to make a real difference in the deer herd with a lease.

Yeah, I agree Timbercruiser. I was just being contrary

I understand the math and how values can be determined . But what is happening and this is not just tied to hunting leases - clubs is that our dollar just isn't going that far anymore. For an average guy that makes $15 per hr. Give or take a little. The demands for his money are pretty strong. Especially if he has a mortgage, vehicle payment, kids, etc . Is a truck priced at $40,000 dollars out of focus with the general population ? You better believe it is .Bottom line is the price of goods are not in balance with the general populations pocket book. There is a difference between just getting by and paying the bills and having something. Most of the people I know can't rise above this. It is a very troubling situation . And it doesn't just affect the average guy. When the little guys strapped it hurts the big guy because money is locked up. Consumer spending has a huge impact on everybody .

I realize we may not have all the answers and these posts probably won't change the outcome. I just hope that hunting leases /clubs don't become something for the elite. Hey average Joe likes some good things too. I know you can take 1000 acres and pack 15 to 20 guys on it and keep out of pocket costs down, but it still costs in terms of the quality of the hunt. I see posts of clubs seeking members with fees as high as $2500- $5000 dollars .And to some folks that might not sound very expensive . Maybe I'm a little bit on the tightwad side.lol.

I have two young boys, and I don't see the ability to provide for them the opportunity my father gave me.

As far as hunting being for the wealthy - that train has sailed.

I killed more deer and turkeys and ducks on public land this year than I did on private, and guess what it's free to hunt! People would rather be lazy and complain about their lease or hunting club. Step your butt out in the woods and go find some deer. There are plenty to be had all over public land in this state you just have to get out there and find them.

No laziness here, my friend. The deer on my lease require work to get them. I also have taken many deer on our public grounds. Lost count matter of fact. And I still say a man is wiser hunt public than rub elbows with folks in a crowded lease. But what I like is the privacy of a well operated lease. As of now I can enjoy that privacy.There are as we all know threats to this as well aspublic land threats. A lot of the state ground I romped as a kid with my dad is gone.And I see it shrinking all the time. Thank God for programs such as FForever Wild. They do a wonderful work.

Coming from Texas where only 2% is open to public hunting (and that's by draw), I hope next year to take advantage of Alabama's public hunting opportunities. Since the oil boom, leases are becoming more expensive in Texas. Many Texas hunters now just save the lease money and hunt for a week in either New Mexico or Colorado.

The future is there is no future in it. Its just a lease...

The answer is to buy land. You can buy a small tract for the price of that new pick up truck mentioned. There's future in that.

Welcome to our State.We still have some good public grounds and every year there are some good deer taken. Still some good clubs and sometimes a good lease will become available. I guess I'm the kinda guy that's looks around the bend for danger. That not necessarily a bad thing. And hopefully we can continue enjoying God's creation without too many glitches.

And yes, a land purchase is the most secure way of enjoying a future of hunting. If everything works out that is my plan. Although this is not for everybody.

Slow down boss.

Few points.
1- I don't hunt for a living, I work. Make a decent living, but the money doesn't go far. That's one point of the original post.
2- AL actually has a small percentage of public land compared to other states.
3- hunting with kids is not very practical for most public land situations, for me, no problem
4- a man can spend a lot of time and money driving and putting in the work you are talking about to hunt public land. They are places you can live in this state and be a good drive from public land opportunity. My time can be valued higher than money.

Just some thoughts

I agree with the OP 100%. Our lease goes up every year, $1.00 per acre this year. They do nothing to the property to increase the value, we the club do it all. Road maintenance, habitat improvements, bridges to get across creeks, etc. That's all on us and we don't mind the work, but in return all we get is another 10% price increase. I see no end to it and sooner probably than later the small clubs like ours will be drove out.

Yes , and there is road work to be done this year on my lease.That isn't covered in the lease. That will be contracted out. Don't get me wrong. It's not all gripe and I do have a good place to hunt .I guess they look at like this - Well if you don't want there is 10 in line waiting for you to drop it.

Making improvements can be costly. First when you make the improvements, and then you basically "pay compound interest" on the improvemnts for the next 2, 5, 10 years you have the lease.

DW, you could have posted this in the General Forum. You said "hunting leases" but in reality you are talking about economics in the US. We are quickly becoming a 2 class society: upper class and lower class. Middle class is leaving quickly. Now, I know how to get into the lower class but I don't know how to get into the upper class.

DW, if more people would do what I just did and absolutely refuse to pay it then it would go down. Our lease price goes up every year. This year I had enough. It's simple supply and demand. If they start sitting on leases for a couple of years with nobody leasing then price will drop. I got to the point that I realized it is just hunting. I shouldn't be paying that much to spend time outside. So I'm not going to.

I agree Matt, but I don't think that will ever happen. If a decent lease ever drops, it seems there's people there to pick it up.

The people I lease from doesn't jump a lot from year to year and I'm glad. And it could be worse. I am able to continue as of now. But I do feel that lease - club fees are not in line with our economy .

I gave up on leasing/club thing years ago. Hunted my small acreage behind the house mostly. Still hit it some but did most of my hunting on public land this past season. It was slow and tough. But I'm learning more about the place all the time and maybe one day it will produce. It keeps me in the game anyway. Think I'm going to do more bowhunting late season next year. Didn't really see crowds in my area until January and that was after some doofuses talked up that particular hunt on here. Best to walk softly and carry a big stick. You get company when you advertise.

This is absolutely what the problem is. As long as people keep paying, they will keep going up. Same with houses and automobiles.

Most of the large landholders in the state are interested in the bottom line. In an environment of rising costs they are looking for ways to improve revenue. Property taxes rise, costs more to maintain landlines, site prep & replanting costs also increase. As profit margins are reduced in the timber industry expect lease increases.

I don't like it but expect the increases to continue.

They will continue to rise at least for the foreseeable future. Maybe at some time when the number of hunters decrease far enough that there are not enough hunters to maintain the demand side of this equation prices will falll. Problem is at that point there will probabbly be to few hunters to fend off the anti hunting crowd and the right to hunt at least without a lot of hoops to jump through will be lost. I pay more now than I ever thought I would but I can not hunt in places that are cheap where there are to many members and deer sightings are rare due to over harvest. If I have to go back to those type places I will just quit and fish 12 months a year.

There is a lot of buy a deer mentality going on too. And to a great extent a lot of hunters are very vulnerable. I mean you can show a few big buck photos to some and the billfold starts flying open. But the reality is that in Al.it typically is a pretty hard road to a trophy . That's why I draw the line on what I will pay to hunt here. My lease expense is shared and I at this point am okay with what I pay. It is the future that is in question. I think if you get the chance a guy should go at least once to the Midwest . It can change your perspective on deer hunting. We are fortunate for our setup. And it wasn't easy nor was it just about money. It was about hunter - landowner relationship. Something that is about a lost art here. So when I see guys paying 2-5 grand to maybe get a 130 in. buck in a season when give me 3 days on our farm, I do a double take.

This right here^

My son is 5 and loves hunting. He would rather be hunting than anything. With this said we logged a ton of hours and leg work on public and private in MS and seen 1 doe. I drew a tag and shot a small 6 but that was with my gun. He shoots a crossbow so must be set up perfect. The thing about public is, when you think you are isolated someone else is knows it is there. I had a plot 2 miles in and it held deer. 6-8 some evenings. I pulled my son in on a pier cart with all our gear. We hunted back there 4 times and saw 0. I put a cam up and got 3 hunters on cam and a 4 wheeler with 2 guys looking around. My cam was not stolen because i posted a note on the vehicles. They tore down signs and road all the way in from another rd. Game wardens came and all but it was to late. Not even gonna go into turkey season. What I am trying to say is 2500.00 for a good lease where I can place blinds and not get messed with, drive a buggy in, and at least see a few deer for my son. You cant put a tag on that. I tried the club when he was 3. It was fun to run cams etc, but no deer down on coast. It is either pay 3k for an outfitted hunt for a week, or the same for a year of hunting.

About beat this dead horse enough but I would like to share a story about how it pays to show a little Southern hospitality .We hunt several farms in Il.But when we started leasing property several year ago, we went through an agency .Paid too much and we were just a number. I got to digging in the Plat book and found out who owned the neighboring property. It was a lot better piece than we were leasing. Ended up making friends with one of our other neighbors who knew the landowner personally and he helped us lease that property . Couldn't have done it without him. So we told him he hunts free for helping us out. Some folks sure wouldn't be too keen on letting another guy hunt for free.But it felt like the right thing to do. Well our free hunter converted his barn into a first class hunting cabin, complete with power and water.He said .No charge. A few year later he had the opportunity to purchase this land. He did. And you know what he said to us. No charge to hunt.